Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781760528270. (Age:13+) Highly recommended.
In his conclusion to the Imposters series Westerfeld brings together Frey and Tally Youngblood from the Uglies series. Frey has spent her life as a stand-in for her sister, facing attacks from assassins, while Tally’s reputation as a rebel leader is well known. Frey is finally free to make her own choices about the family in which she was raised and her sister Rafia who killed the love of her life. Meanwhile Tally has allowed her image to grow while keeping out of the limelight but when an AI threatens to take over the world, they join forces.
The action is breathtaking as the Youngbloods, who are expert riders of their hoverboards, skim over the earth. They face risk after risk as they try and contain the danger that confronts them, and readers are in for a thrilling ride. There are challenging twists and turns, and readers will need to have read the previous books in the series for a full picture of the setting and characters.
People who have not read the Uglies series will want to immediately find those books, as Tally Youngblood is a character that you want to know, while those who are familiar with the series will be thrilled to see how she has developed as a leader. Leadership and ethical behaviour are major themes in the story and both Shay and then Frey are the ones who put the brakes onto their leaders’ behaviour.
This was a fitting end to the Imposters series and an exciting blend of that and the Uglies series. A great read for fans of dystopian adventure stories.
Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781760630799. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
In an interview with #LoveOzYA Astrid Scholte describes League of liars as ‘a crime fantasy mashup, and it's set in a world where magic can be lured from any shadow to alter time.’ Readers are in for a suspenseful time as Cayder Broduck becomes an apprentice under a public defender in a country that is riddled with magic. He is not prepared for the three young criminals that he is supposed to help defend. One is supposed to be the instigator of the deaths of a whole community, and two other teens have been accused of murder. All three are incarcerated in Vardean, the deadly prison where the most notorious prisoners are kept by the Regency. All have been involved in the illegal use of a strange magic centring around shadows that appear from a tear in the veil in another dimension.
The story is told in alternating short chapters from four points of view, that of Cayder, his sister Leta, Jey and Princess Elenora. Each has a distinct voice, and the reader is drawn to their different characters and plights. Then their stories begin to overlap and as Cayder gets to know more about their cases, he is confronted with disparities and similarities in the evidence that has been collected. Leta has described a giant winged creature, beautifully illustrated in the book, and this description tallies with others that have been discounted. Princess Elenora believes that her brother just disappeared and that she has been unjustly accused of his murder, while Jey is prepared to confess to the murder of his father.
There are twists and turns as the reader tries to work out what is happening, with many surprises on the way. Suspense builds up to a wonderful and unexpected climax when all is revealed, leaving the reading satisfied with the love, courage, and determination that the four teenagers have demonstrated.
Readers who enjoy a thrilling crime fantasy with some enticing illustrations, or who liked Scholte’s previous two books, Four dead queens and The vanishing deep, are in for a treat. Teacher's notes, A Special Message to Teachers and Librarians from the Author and a book trailer are all available from the publisher.
Themes Trials, Magic, Fantasy, Crime.
Pat Pledger
Kangaroo Beach: Sandy's surf school
Macmillan, 2022. ISBN: 9781760989309. (Age:3+)
Kangaroo Beach: Sandy’s Surf School is the fourth book in the Kangaroo Beach series. The stories are based on a children’s television show where the Australian animals are cadet lifeguards. This colourful board book with ‘lift the flaps’ tells the story of cadets Gemma, Pounce, Neville and Frizzy who in this story are learning to surf with Sandy the kangaroo instructor. Before the excited cadets can race into the water there are several skill and safety steps they need to go through. The first one is choosing the right board, followed by practising on the sand. After that they are ready to hit the waves. Poor old Neville does not find surfing in the water easy so his friends decide to help him by practising in the sand dunes. Unfortunately Neville does not excel at sand surfing either but he does comes up with a clever but sneaky solution to his water surfing problem. During the Kangaroo Beach Surfing Carnival, Neville comes unstuck again but manages to safely make it back to shore and even win a medallion.
Those children who are familiar with the TV series may find this book version appealing.
Themes Australian animals, Beach life, Lifeguards, Surfing, Friendship, Water Safety.
The Burning Swift completes the thrilling adventure/fantasy series The Shadow Skye Trilogy. Joseph Elliott has maintained the pace, the savagery and the windswept, unsettling backdrop that accompanies the adventures of the characters who readers of the first two books will see finally completing the terrible challenges that have faced them.
Set in mythical ancient Scotland (Scotia) and the Isle of Skye, the action flows down to England (Ingland) and back in this third novel. Agatha, Jaime and Sigrid's lives are fraught with harrowing danger as they face seemingly unstoppable foes including starving, cannibalistic women of Ingland, death rats, medieval armoury including catapults and crossbows with poisoned spears, cauldrons of burning sand poured from castle battlements and imprisonment in the dankest of prisons. King Edmund of Ingland is assassinated but is immediately replaced by the evil Kong Grimr and the army heading to overtake the north is immense and all powerful. Unlikely allies as they are, Agatha, Sigrid and Jaime have to unite to protect their clan and they receive unexpected support from strange places.
Readers of the first two books in the series, already familiar with our trio of heroes, know the intimate thoughts, distinctive voices and resultant actions of Agatha, Jaime and Sigrid as the first person narrative alternates chapter by chapter between them. Through this literary technique the reader has access to the clear and open thinking of Agatha, the fearless, daring of Sigrid and the troubled bravery of Jaime as they unite the northern people of Scotia as war from the south comes to the island of Skye.
Ancient and forbidden black magic is invoked. A terrible final battle occurs. There is death, savagery, betrayal, heroism and love. There are reunions. Throughout it all, Elliot maintains these three very special heroes; three very rounded characters. Each character has flaws and each character grows. Agatha, arguably the favourite, is a new kind of character to be represented in literature. She has Down Syndrome. As Aisha Bushby, author of a pocketful of Stars states, "Forget Gryffindor, Dauntless and House Stark...I want to be a Hawk."
The Burning Swift is a beautiful book. Although dark and grisly and at times brutal, the whole trilogy is full of great hope and portrays, through its unforgettable characters, the qualities of human goodness, loyalty and bravery that people can demonstrate even in the most dire situations. This trilogy is recommended as an inspiring read for Middle School age readers.
Themes Ancient mythical Scotland, Dark magic, Clan loyalty, Battle.
Wendy Jeffrey
Trains trains trains! by Donna David and Nina Pirhonen
Pan Macmillan, 2022. ISBN: 9781529069792. (Age:2+) Recommended.
Any young child who is interested in machines or methods of transport will be drawn to the eye-catching blue foil cover of Trains trains trains! with its colourful train full of cute little cartoon figures. There are five trains to find on each double page spread, the illustrations matching the text. This has an internal rhyme which lends itself to being read aloud. Young children will ask for this book to be read to them again and again and will soon be able to chant along with the narrative, while emerging readers will enjoy having a go at reading for themselves or to younger siblings.
Short trains Long trains Something's gone wrong trains!
Steam trains Dream Trains, Listen to them puff.
It is a lot of fun to see all the different types of the 50 trains featured, from very fast modern trains to old steam trains, freight trains and even ‘chugging thought the cold trains’. At the back is an extra fold out page with all the trains grouped together and children are asked to choose their favourite.
The illustrations are very bright and cheerful and the facial expressions on the drivers and passengers are appealing, sure to charm the young child. There is also a Did you spot …? section where children are asked if they saw one of the tiny details in the pictures and the answers are given using the numbers with which the trains are labelled. Plus, there are tips for parents and carers when reading together.
Trains trains trains! is an amusing and informative book that will be welcomed by pre-school children.
Feelings can be complex and often misunderstood by young children who need guidance when dealing with a myriad of emotions and situations in their daily lives. We Feel Happy is a colourful new release that will resonate with younger readers. The use of brightly animated animal characters provides added visual appeal which readers will enjoy. The feelings covered in this book include happy, shy, calm, scared, sad, excited, grumpy, curious, sorry and excited. Each feeling is discussed on a boldly coloured busy double page spread with a number of white conversation bubbles as well as black text to highlight key messages, individual thoughts, questions and responses. The page about grumpy feelings stands out from the other feelings’ pages as it is divided into individual boxes to highlight each reason behind these feelings and a possible solution. At the beginning of the book is a brief introduction asking How are you Feeling? and at end of the book is information for parents and caregivers on how to talk about feelings with young children written by early years specialist, Dr Helen Lewis.
This practical and easy to read book is perfect for sharing with younger children. Early Years teachers in childcare settings, preschool and junior primary classrooms may find this a very useful resource to have on hand when dealing with situations that can arise on a daily basis.
Themes Feelings, Young Children, Animals.
Kathryn Beilby
Return to Factopia! by Kate Hale. Illus. by Andy Smith
Britannica Books, 2022. ISBN: 9781913750398. (Age:7+) Highly recommended.
Return to FACTopia! is the second title in the FACTopia! series. This cleverly illustrated and very appealing compendium of facts will entertain those readers who love learning new snippets of information to share with their friends and family. Over 400 hundred facts are discussed and connected in often quite unexpected ways. The introduction welcomes the reader back to FACTopia and begins with astronauts playing golf on the moon which connects to astronauts growing taller in space which connects to a super tall snowperson who had trees for arms which then connects to information about trees and so it goes on. The reader is able to follow the dotted lines to work their way through the book. However, those readers who wish to deviate and be adventurous can follow broken lines to different page numbers to still related topics. There is a Table of Contents at the beginning of the book which contains the topics investigated but also has ‘Fact Frenzy’ sections where the reader can follow a double page spread of segmented information all interconnected by arrowed boxes. There is a detailed index at the end plus information about the FACTtopians as well as a sources page and picture credits.
One of the highlights of this book is the bold, glossy presentation and the mixed media use of photos and graphics. A second highlight is the fact that the author has limited the amount of information on each page which allows it to be readable and hold the interest of the young or reluctant reader.
A perfect gift for a fact-loving child and a welcome addition to a class or school library.
Themes Facts, Knowledge.
Kathryn Beilby
The Becoming by Nora Roberts
The Dragon Heart Legacy, book 2. Piatkus, 2021. ISBN: 9780349426402. (Age:16+)
The becoming is the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy by best-selling author Nora Roberts and this time the reader sees Breen return to Talamh. She is accompanied by her good friend Marco, who is amazed at the magical world that he finds there. Breen grows in her powers and becomes much more confident in herself and what she believes. She continues to be trained as a warrior by Keegan and their romance simmers along slowly. Marco also fits in well and even finds a partner who appreciates his qualities.
As the middle book in the trilogy, Roberts builds up the suspense, leaving the reader to wonder if all the preparations for war with the evil god Odran will be adequate. There is a heartbreaking betrayal and some suspenseful moments. With dragons and their riders, faeries and mermaids, readers of easy fantasy will be pleased. Fans of relationships will enjoy the friendship between Marco and Breen and the love her grandmother displays so well. And the cute dog Bollock is an extra bonus for dog lovers!
Roberts has the knack of worldbuilding and describing characters in such a way that the reader is pulled into the story. Her narrative flows easily and will please her many fans. It is best to begin with the first in the series, The awakening.
Themes Fantasy, Good and evil, Love, Courage.
Pat Pledger
Dare to be different : Inspirational words from people who changed the world by Ben Brooks
Author Ben Brooks has added another book to his Dare to be Different collection. This latest book, Dare to be Different: Inspirational words from people who changed the world, contains an eclectic mixture of 100 people who have made a difference in their own lifetime, both past and present. Many of them may be familiar to some readers eg Jane Austen, Dolly Parton, Anne Frank, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Desmond Tutu. However, many of them may be unfamiliar. For example Bambi, who is not the baby fawn, but a present day famous anonymous graffiti artist whose inspirational words are, “I want to save the world and that’s why social commentary is always present in my work. It's easy to live with your eyes shut but that’s not fulfilling or helpful to the world.” Another possibly unfamiliar person is Nezahualcoyotl (1402-1472) who appears on the Mexican hundred-peso note and was a prince and a poet. His inspirational words are, “Stand up, Beat your drum, Give of yourself, Know friendship.” One of the surprise inclusions is Yoda (896 BBY- 4ABY). This little green alien’s inspirational quote is quite long but begins with “Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you?...” Fans of Star Wars will no doubt be aware Yoda is the Grand Master of the Order of Jedi Knights.
Each and every story shared in this book is unique and interesting to read. Each entry has a coloured double page spread with text on one page and a full-page illustration on the other. The information is easy to follow and understand and will appeal to both children and adults who enjoy reading biographies.
Themes Biographies.
Kathryn Beilby
Perfectly weird, perfectly you by Camilla Pang. Illus. by Laurene Boglio
The Introduction in Perfectly Weird, Perfectly You gives a sensitive and honest account of author Camilla Pang’s understanding of her Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis at the age of eight years. She carefully explains aspects of ASD that can be both general and are unique to her. Throughout the short paragraphs of ASD explanations, are bold and highlighted words such as overwhelmed, difficult, routines, behaviour, which give the reader an insight into the disorder. The author also uses the term superpower and relates how her ASD traits have positively impacted on her love of science, her career in this field and her growing understanding of human relationships.
One of the key themes that is evident throughout this book is that a person diagnosed with ASD can often have difficulty missing social clues and understanding human interactions. The author has used her understanding of science to explain the complexities of social relationships. One early story she shares is commenting on a pair of trainers worn by another girl saying she might get some. The other girl is unkind in her response, and this leads the author into an explanation of stereotypes and being judgemental. The study of metals and their different reactions provided the author with more understanding that the world needs people who are diverse.
This book has ten chapters which all begin with the same word: perfectly. This is followed by different, calm, balanced, alive, at home, digital, persistent, wrong, you and new. Each chapter is written in language for readers of all ages to understand, with well-spaced paragraphs containing bold text for important words or ideas, as well as quirky images and borders. The final pages are titled ‘Ending the Experiment: What Did We Learn?’ and discusses the journey the reader has taken through the book. The important message is that we are all unique and special. As young people grow and interact, they encounter difficult situations that can be solved once the problem is understood. A very worthwhile resource for a school or public library.
Join the unlikely pair of Fi and Shane as they start out on a magical adventure - Fi is bookish, knowledgeable and a trained treasure hunter, while Shane is a warrior for hire, rough around the edges. Fi likes to consider all the possibilities while Shane likes doing things her own way. Pairing up for just one big score, the two find themselves with a greater challenge when Fi is pricked by the Bone Spindle - intertwining her fate with the sleeping prince, Briar Rose. After a miraculous meeting with Briar, who has been under a sleeping curse for a hundred years, waiting for the kiss that will wake him, Fi decides to break the curse, and Shane is along for the journey. Only catch is dark magic, Witch Hunters and potential romances along the way, Shane is a sucker for a pretty girl, and Fi fears falling in love - especially with a prince under a curse.
The first in a new fantasy series, The Bone Spindle, this gender-flipped reimagining of Sleeping Beauty is full of action, adventure, betrayal, romance and magic. The majority of the book is told from the perspectives of Shane and Fi, with a few chapters throughout the book being told from Briar Rose's point of view. While there is plenty of action throughout the novel, the story has several drawn out segments, interrupting the flow of the story. Well developed lead characters save the story from these interruptions, and the book is perfect for fans of fairy tales with a twist, as the sleeping beauty in this story is male, and the rescuers are female. Additionally, there is a female to female pairing, adding more dimension to the original fairy tale.
First published in 1902, this handsome 120th anniversary edition of the first of the beloved Peter Rabbit tales will be welcomed by collectors and fans alike. The image of Peter Rabbit in his familiar blue jacket stands out again a gold embossed cover and is a very appealing introduction to young children.
Many readers will be familiar with The tale of Peter Rabbit and the small books about this feisty little rabbit in his blue jacket probably has been hoarded by grandparents like me, and handed down to another generation. It is a treat to see the 120th birthday edition of the The tale of Peter Rabbit in a large format, with an engaging gold foil cover and the original illustrations and text. It should prove to be perfect for adults to hold up and read aloud to a class or to read to siblings in a family.
Peter Rabbit is naughty, creeping into Mr. McGregor’s garden, and his adventures will have readers glued to the page, and listeners holding their breath. Young children are sure to love the iconic illustrations that have made this story so popular – and will have fun comparing them to the popular TV presentation with which they may be familiar.
There are many more stories about Peter Rabbit including A Christmas wish and all are sure to be enjoyed by children today. This version is gorgeous and will prove to be a keeper for many families.
Themes Rabbits, Classics.
Pat Pledger
Wednesday Weeks and the crown of destiny by Cristy Burne and Denis Knight
Cristy Burne and Denis Knight have brought us a second book featuring Wednesday Weeks and her friend Alfie (apprentice protector of the realms) and Bruce (the Skull), Grandpa (Abraham Mordecai Weeks, Protector of the Realms, Sorceror) and a new friend- Adaline. This team battles to save yet another realm from Gorgomoth the Unclean. The same characters are transported from the same ordinary science classroom as in the first book in the series (Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Terror) into a fantasy world where good magic, science and cooperation between friends are pitted against evil.
When computer programmer/science fiction and fantasy author (Knight) and science communicator/author(Burne) team up, the resultant book is going to be interesting. Not surprisingly, Wednesday Weeks and the Crown of Destiny, is a highly visual sensation for readers with the action being easily translatable to screen. The narrative is action packed. The dialogue is sassy and witty. The heroes are trapped by one seemingly impossible situation after another. Escape from certain death has to be very fast and requires the ability to cipher codes, solve riddles, use logic and scientific knowledge - skills that a savvy primary school aged reader may just have if they have been focusing in Maths and Science lessons. The action races along but cycles back helpfully at times to help readers who might have become lost.
The settings are fantastic. After escaping the inside of a lifesize pinball game they travel through a worm hole to the evil lair of Gorgomoth where Grandpa has been transformed into a frog and Queen Shard is trapped. The Crown of Destiny, the ruby ring and the captives must be rescued from bizaare settings all before a very important dinner in the real world. Wednesday gradually refines her magical skills of levitation and transformation as she learns that true magic has to come from the heart.
The repartee between the friends and their responses to Gorgomoth and his "grey uniformed, gum-chewing goblins' " is wickedly naughty and snortingly funny. Traditional fairy stories, modern day performance reports, faery realms and the human realm are mixed together and out of it all friendship and being home in time for dinner matters most.
Embedded seamlessly amongst all the entertainment and adventure are STEM concepts including acids, bases and acid-base reactors, life cycles, codes and ciphers and sound and resonance. Activities based on these concepts are included at the end of the book. As in book 1, it is knowledge of science (with a touch of magic) which really saves the children every time.
Readers will be eagerly waiting to see how Wednesday Weeks and her friends will manage saving the nine realms in the upcoming book in the series - The dungeon of fire.
So far this year, in my little part of the planet, we have had both local government elections and a state by-election, and a federal election looms within the next three months, So local young readers have been bombarded with advertising and so forth with vocabulary like 'party', 'candidate', 'vote' and 'polling booth'. But do they understand what an 'election' is?
This book, part of the DK FindOut series, provides a simple but comprehensive explanation of where and how democracy began and how it has developed over the years and just what happens when people are required to exercise their vote every so often. Beginning with a close-to-home scenario of school elections for class president, it moves beyond to national elections and while the photographs are predominantly from the US, it does embrace the procedures in other parts of the world.
Because this is a levelled reader, ostensibly for 'beginning readers', the explanations are clear yet comprehensive giving the young person who at least has an awareness of the process being undertaken an insight into what actually happens. Therefore, IMO, the target audience would be those who might be involved in class elections who know that it is more than a popularity contest. Rather than an individual read, its importance lies as an introduction to that which will dominate our news bulletins in coming months shared and discussed by the class teacher, so students begin to understand what is meant by 'Let's have a vote' and the concepts of 'majority rules' and living with the consequences of the choices.
As we mature we begin to realise what a precious thing a vote is, and the need to exercise our rights in an informed manner. This book begins our students' understanding of that privilege.
Themes Elections.
Barbara Braxton
What big teeth by Rose Szabo
Titan Books, 2021. ISBN: 9781789097818. (Age:16+) Recommended for readers who like gothic horror.
Eleanor Zarrin has been sent home from boarding school after an undisclosed horrifying incident. Her grandmother had sent her away and she has had no contact with her family for years. When she arrives at her home, it is difficult for her to fit in with her strange family – a mother who has weird skin and sits in a bathtub of water, a grandfather and cousin who howl in the woods, a sister who has grown away from her and a father who is ineffectual. Then there is Arthur a being that some members of her family are in love with. When her grandmother dies reading the tarot cards, Eleanor is left in charge of the family and must learn about the darkness that she knows lives inside her.
This is a dark and complex tale that would appeal to fans of horror. The reader is constantly trying to work out what is going on in this monstrous family and just what skills and background each of the family members has. The arrival of Eleanor’s other grandmother and the way that she can manipulate people deepens the suspense and provides even more horror to the story.
A tale for older readers, its great cover and title could make an effective centre piece for a display of horror stories. Readers may also enjoy The forest of hands and teeth by Carrie Ryan, The woods are always watching by Stephanie Perkins and the collection of short stories in Hometown haunts.
